Clinker shelf



March ,1951 l. 1.. MEILLEUR ETAL 2,545,825

CLINKER SHELF Filed Jan. 4, 1949 '7 II Ml [ha L. Mei/fear Joseph Neil/ear Imoemor Gttomeg Patented Mar. 20, 1951 U Ni'lTE-D' sures PATENT OFFICE Ina- L. Meilleur andJo's'ephfMeill'eur, Spokane, Wash.-

Application January 4, 1949; "Serial Ne. 69,188 4C1aims. (Cl. 1 26:4242? to provide ashel f which is mounted in the fire, box of a furnace and thusellow clink'ers to' beremoved from the burning coal and placed upon the shelf where tl'ieywill remain until cool and all smoke and fumes given off by the clinkers pass from the furnace into the smoke pipe to the chimneyin'stead of filling'thexfurnace room with smoke and gases.

Another-object of the invention. is to provide a clinker shelf of such formation that it will extendcircumferentially of'the-fire box and closeto the annular wall-thereof where it will be out or? the way and not interfere 1 with operation of thefurnace; I

Anotherobjectof the invention is to provide a "clinker shelfwhich maybe supported upon a ledge formed by-thenpper"edgeface ofthe' fire boxwall where it will remain-firmly in place and not be liable "to tilt-overand drop into the fire.

' Another objectof the invention is to provide a clinker shelf which is formed of cast iron and so reinforced that it will not become warped by heat from the fire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clinker shelf which is formed as a single casting and may be manufactured at low cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a view taken horizontally through a furnace and showing the improved clinker shelf in top plan.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking at the under face of the clinker shelf.

The furnace in which the improved clinker shelf is mounted is of conventional form and has the usual fire box I and head 2. The fire box has at the center of its bottom a fuel bowl or tuyre 3 of conventional form and about its upper edge face the fire box is formed with an outstanding circumferentially extending flange 27 or thickened portionl-there isa groove-Fin which isseated the-lower edge portion of the headi. Theinner-surface of the headis spaced from-the inner surface of the fi-re-box, thus -pro-- vid'ing' a rim or ledge 6 which extends circumferentially about the fire box within the bottom or lower end of the head. The furnace is therefore of' conventional formation and will include theusual doors for 'the fire box and the ash pit.

The clinker shelf 1' which constitutes the subject matter of this invention is formed of cast iron and has arcuate inner-and outer side edges 8 an'd 9 and straight out ends I0 which are in alignment with each other, as shown in Figure 1. Short legs I extend downwardly from the outer side edge of the shelf in spaced relation to eachother longitudinally thereof, and each leg has a vertically arcuate outeredge face l2 and its upper portion outwardly thickened to form: a'- lug or shoulder 13 formed with a flat and straight under face which rests flat upon the" rim or ledge fi of the fire box'when the shelf is applied to the fire box. Since the outer faces of the legs are: longitudinally curved the legs diverge downwardly from the wall of the fire box and will not be liable to catch against the inner face of the fire box and prevent the-shelf from being easilyjs'etin place within the fire box. Openings M- are formed through the shelf so that hot air, smoke, and other products of combustion rising from a fire under the shelf may pass through theseopenings and in order 'to brace the shelf against warping there has been p10-' vided a rib I5 which is formed integral with the shelf and extends from the center one of the legs 5 I to the inner side edge of the shelf.

When the clinker shelf is in use it is thrust into the fire box through the fuel door and set at rest upon the rim or ledge 6 with the shoulders or lugs l3 of the legs resting upon the rim and upper ends of the arcuate side faces H of the legs bearing against the inner surface of the wall of the fire box. Since the lugs l3 project outwardly from the outer side face 9 of the shelf a short distance the shelf will be held in spaced relation to the walls of the fire box and the heat and air may flow upwardly about the outer side edge of the shelf as well as through the draft openings [4. When it is found that coal burning in the fire box contains clinkers, the clinkers are removed from the coal and placed upon the shelf where they are allowed to remain until they are 0001. Smoke and gas fumes given off by the cooling clinkers will thus be in the furnace and pass out through the smoke pipe instead of filling the furnace room with smoke and obnoxious gases, as would be the case if the hot clinkers were withdrawn through the fuel door and allowed to drop upon the fioor of the furnace room.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A clinker shelf adapted for use in a furnace having a fire box and a head resting upon the upper edge face of the wall of the fire box, said shelf comprising a fiat body having arcuate inner and outer side edges and straight end edges extending between ends of the inner and outer side edges, said body being formed with openings constituting passages for products of combustion .i

moving upwardly in the fire box from burning coal under the shelf, short legs extending downwardly from the outer side edge portion of said body and spaced from each other longitudinally thereof, said legs having vertically arcuate outer 7 side faces and having their upper portions outwardly thickened and forming shoulders projecting from the outer side edge of the body radially thereof and formed with flat lower end faces for resting upon the upper edge face of the wall of the fire box wall and supporting the clinker shelf in the fire box of a furnace above a mass of coal therein with the body spaced from the wall of the head of the furnace, and a reinforcing rib extending across the under face of the body midway the length thereof between inner and outer side edges of the body.

2. A clinker shelf adapted for use in a furnace having a fire box and a head resting upon the upper edge face of the wall of the fire box, said shelf comprising a fiat cast metal body having inner and outer side edges, said body being formed with a plurality of openings constituting passages for products of combustion moving upwardly in the fire box from burning coal under the shelf, legs formed integral with said body and spaced from each other along the outer side edge of the body, said legs having upper portions formed with outstanding lugs forming shoulders for resting upon a ledge in a fire box of the furnace and supporting the shelf in the furnace above burning coal in the fire box, and a rib formed integral with the body and extending across the under face of the body between inner and outer side edges thereof to reinforce the body against warping.

3. In combination with a furnace including a fire box open at its top and a head open at its lower end and resting upon the upper edge of the wall of the fire box with portions of the fire box wall projecting inwardly from the head and forming a ledge surrounded by the lower end of the head; a clinker shelf comprising a body disposed horizontally and having an outer edge disposed over a portion of said ledge and an inner edge spaced laterally from the vertical center of the fire box, and legs extending downwardly from the outer edge portion of said body in spaced realtion to each other longitudinally thereof and formed with shoulders resting upon the ledge and supporting the shelf above burning coal in the fire box, said legs having portions extending downwardly below the ledge and bearing against the inner surface of the wall of the fire box and bracing the shelf against tilting movement off of the ledge.

4. In combination with a furnace including a fire box open at its top and a head open at its lower end and resting upon the upper edge of the wall of the fire box with portions of the fire box wall projecting inwardly from the head and forming a ledge; a clinker shelf comprising a body disposed horizontally adjacent the wall of the head and having an outer edge portiondisposed over said ledge, and supporting means extending downwardly from the outer edge portion of said body and having portions resting upon said ledge and removably mounting the clinker shelf above coal in the fire box and other portions extending downwardly below the ledge and bearing against the inner surface of the wall of the fire box and serving to brace the shelf against tilting movement off of the ledge.

INA L. MEILLEUR. JOSEPH MEILLEUR. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Carl Dec. 5, 1944 

